Float valve for filling machine reservoirs



July 11 1944 R. J. STEWART E'rAl. 2,353,277

FLOAT VALVE FOR FILLING MACHINE RESERVOIRS Filed .June 29,A 1939 2 sheets-sheet 1 34 kp' -h 2" July 11 1944- R. J. STEWART Erm.

FLOAT VALVE FOR FILLING MACHINE RESERVQIRS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ropljl" .bstlewjazl,

Filed June 29, 1939 Jenrg 11217531722 Patented July 11, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENTl OFFICE FlA'l VALVE FOB FILLING MACHINE 'l BESEBVOIBS Boba-i J. steunt ma nenn n. man, Baltimore,

macaignorstocrowncork SealOompany. Inc., Baltimore, Md., a corporation of New York application June za, 193s, seran No. :n.952

(ci. 1x1-104) by a fitting secured to the center of the under lClaim.

The present inveation relates to a float valve for filling 'machine reservoirs, and particularly to structures of this type designed for use on milk filling machines.

It is necessary that 'all portions of a milk filling machine with which the milk comes in contact be of such design that they can be readily disassembled for the frequent cleaning operations required for such machines. These parts comprise the fillingvalves, reservoir and. milk infeed lines, as well as the valve for controlling the height of th milk in the tank.

The principal object of the present invention is to/provide a oat valve for a milk filling machine reservoir, including flow lines and a flow control valve, which can readily be disassembled for thorough cleaning.

In order that a milk filling machine reservoir and the flow lines connected thereto may be of optimum simplicity so that all parts will be readily available for disassembly and cleaning, it is desirable to have the flow lines enter the reservoir through the reservoir cover plate. However, the flow lines, which have usually included a pressure line, as Well as a milk delivery line, imposed considerable weight upon the cover plate and it was necessary to have the cover plate formed of extremely heavy material in order to support the weight imposed upon its central portion by the flow lines.

The design of the reservoir of the present invention is such thatits side walls include overhanging flanges to reduce the area of the cover plate so that the latter need not be of extremely heavy construction, and the invention also contemplates the provision of a hand hole in the cover plate through which all of the filling valves may be inserted or removed. Further, in order that the overhanging flange will not interfere with upward movement of the filling valve parts from their seats in the lower wall, the depth of the reservoir is greater than the length of any filling valve part so that all of these parts may be moved directly upwardly from their seats without contacting with the overhanging flange of the reservoir. By this arrangement, if it becomes necessary to insert or remove a valve part while the flow lines are connected to the cover plate, the operation can be performed without dismantling the iiow lines.

Diillculties have also heretofore been encountered in endeavoring to support the reservoir upon its carrying post or shaft and at the same time avoid seams or joints in the lower surface of the reservoir. If the reservoir was supported surface of its lower wall, the lower wall had to be of heavy material to support the load imposed upon its outer area.

By the construction of the reservoir of the present invention, a substantially horizontal skirt is provided on the lower wall of the reservoir, which skirt is secured to the rotating shaft to leave the lower wall of the reservoir free of seams -or joints with which milk may contact.

' Since the skirt is of large area and joins the lower wall of the reservoir at points spaced from the reservoir center, a heavy load can be supported without the use of heavy metal.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a valve for controlling the inlet ilow of milk and which valve can be readily disassembled and all surfaces of which are readily available for cleaning.

Heretofore, it has been regarded as undesirable to use a float operated valve in the reservoir because such valves were difficult to clean.

The ow control valve of the present invention is of the float operated type, but is formed of relatively large parts, with no inaccessible crevices or small apertures and with all of the parts held together by a single snap-on member, rather than by threaded securing means or securing means such as would require the provision of apertures or sockets in the valve mechanism.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an inlet flow control valve for a filling machine reservoir which will move with the reservoir during vertical adjustment of thev latter.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the reservoir.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the reservoir.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken above the oat valve of Figure 1 and showing this valve in plan.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 4 4 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view on the line 5 5 of Figure 3.

The numeral I0 designates the milk reservoir which is of cylindrical form and includes a bottom wall Il, side or peripheral wall l2 and an inwardly extending top flange I3. The bottom wall Il is slightly convex at its central portion as indicated at Il and a skirt l5 extends inwardly beneath this portion to bear upon the center and support the venting tube I9 in a shell 22 projecting downwardly from the valve aperture 24 provided in the lower wall `oi' the reservoir. As described in our said filling structure application, a resilient valve or sealing ring 26 is adapted to be secured to the lower end of each shell I9 to cooperate with the seating surface 26 on each tube I9 to form a valve which will be opened when the mouth of the bottle to be iilled forces the lower portion of the valve ring 25 upwardly from the seating surface 26 as illustrated in Figure 1.

The reservoir I9 is illustrated used in a lling system wherein a low pressure condition is maintained above the surface of the milk in the reservoir so that air will be drawn from the bottles to be lled through the tube I9, with the result that milk will flow more readily into the bottles and dripping of milk from the filling valves will be prevented. As indicated by the dotted line in Figure 1, the level of the milk is maintained below the upper ends of the vent tubes I9.

Milk is delivered to the reservoir I through a line 30 which extends to a supply tank, not shown. Line 30 is secured to a T-tting 3| which has a tube 32 extending downwardly therefrom. The third opening in the T-fltting is closed by a disc 33 held in place with a ring nut 34. Since the line 30 is secured to the milk supply tank this line and the tube 32 will be stationary, that is, will be held against rotation during the rotation of the reservoir I0.

Tube 32 has a sliding fit with a second and liquid inlet tube 36 which is supported in an inlet boss 31 riveted or otherwise secured as indicated at 39 to the edge of a central aperture in the cover 39 of the reservoir. The boss 31 is of greater diameter than the tube 36 so that the latter will be spaced inwardly from the side walls of the boss as shown in Figure 1. Tube 36 is secured in a central aperture in the top wall of boss 31, preferably by welding. A large and readily removable gland nut 40 is threaded to the extreme upper portion of Iboss 31 to clamp packing rings against the inlet tube 32 and maintain a sealed joint at this point. It will lbe observed that tube 32 and tube 36 have a sliding fit with respect to each other so that the height of the reservoir may be varied. Also, the lower tube 36 will rotate with boss 31 and the reservoir III about the upper and non-rotatable tube 32.

The side walls of boss 31 are apertured as indicated at 4I and a casing 42 surrounds the exterlor side portion of boss 31. Casing 42 includes an annular chamber 43 to which the apertures 4I in the boss open, and casing 42 has aline 44 extending therefrom to a vacuum pump, not shown, so that a low pressure condition may be maintained in the upper portion of the reservoir I6. Casing 42 will of course be held against rotation by its connection to the line 44, and the upper and lower inner edges of the casing 42 have a ground or seat fit upon the outer side surfaces of the boss 31 so as to maintain a tight but journalled iit between casing 42 and bou 31.

Thelowpressurelineumayhaveaiiexible connection therein to permit this line to move upwardly 'or downwardly with the reservoir I6 when the latter is adjusted for bottles of diilerent heights.

The reservoir cover 29 has its outer edge turned slightly downwardly to bear upon and partially surround a rubber sealing ring Il which extends about an upturned iiange 6I which delinea the central top opening of the reservoir Il. This construction insures that an air-tight seal will be provided between the reservoir cover 39 and the reservoir III. The reservoir cover 39 has one or more hand holes 62 provided therein and adapted to be closed by cover plates 63 which are provided with sealing rings adapted to bear upon the cover plate so that an air tight seal will also be maintained at this point.

As indicated in Figures 1 and 2, it will be observed that the reservoir Il is of slightly greater depth than the length loi.' the venting tubes I9 so that when the sealing or valve ring 26 associated with a vent tube I9 has been removed, that vent tube may be drawn upwardly to the solid line position shown in Figure 2 and then moved outwardly through the hand hole 62 through the dotted line position indicated in Figure 2. This arrangement is of considerable importance in machines of this type since it enables all of the vent tubes to 1be withdrawn from the reservoir during cleaning of the machine simply by rotating the cover plate upon the reservoir to bring the hand hole 62 successively adjacent the various vent tubes. In other words, it is not necessary that the milk supply line 36 and the low pressure line -44 be disconnected and the cover plate 39 removed in order to permit insertion or removal of the vent tubes I9.

The ilow of milk into the reservoir I9 through supply line 30 and the vertical tubes 32 and 36 is regulated by a oat valve 55 mounted upon a cylindrical casing 56 which includes a horizontal bore 51 opening to a vertical sleeve 58 which is suitably secured, for example by a weld, to the lower end of tube 36. The casing 56 extends laterally of tube 36 as shown in Figures l and 5 and the extended portion has a series of slots 6I spacedabout the same. A rotatable valve sleeve 6I seats on the slotted extended portion and has slots 62 provided therein.

As shown in Figure 4, the two series of slots do not necessarily extend entirely about the two cylindrical elements but may be provided Aonly in two opposite portions of the latter. The sleeve valve 6| has a boss 63 in its upper portion from which a rod 64 extends to support a float 66. A shoulder 66 is formed on the boss 63 to limit the turning movement of sleeve valve 6I by contact with a pair of spaced pins 61 which project from the upper portion 59 of casing 56.

The ends of the horizontal bore of the cylindrical casing 56 are closed by discs or plates 16 and 1I which fit into and extend past the edge oi' the horizontal bore as best shown in Figure 5. The plate 1I in the laterally extended portion oi casing 56 is of suihciently large diameter to hold the sleeve valve 6I in proper position upon the casing, that is, against a shoulder 12 extending about the exterior of the casing. 'I'he two end plates 10 and 1I are held in assembled relation. thereby also holding the sleeve valve in proper position, by means of a metal C-shaped clamp 12 which extends about the casing 66 as shown in Figures 3 and 4 and flts into notches 14 in the outer edges of the end plates 'I0 and 'l I. Clamp 'I3 is resilient.

It will be observed that by the construction described above, the oat control valve can readily be taken apart for cleaning and that its design is such that when it is disassembled, every part thereof will be easily accessible to washing iluid. 'I'he reservoir l0 and the fittings through which milk is delivered thereto and by means of which a low pressure condition is maintained in the reservoir can also be quickly disassembled and will then be available for thorough cleaning.

Since the float valve is movable with lower tube 36, which is fixed with respect to'boss 31 and the reservoir Ill, the oat valve will rotate with the reservoir and will also move vertically with the latter. 'I'he fact that the float valve moves vertically wlth the reservoir is particularly advantageous ln that it eliminates the necessity of re-settng the level of the valve when the reservoir is moved to handle bottles of different sizes.

While the invention has been described in connection with a machine of the type described in our prior application, that is. a low-pressure reservoir milk lling machine, it will be appreciated that the features of the present invention can be used upon various types of milk iilling machines, as well as upon machines for handling iluids other than milk.

It will be understood that the terminology used in the specification is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, the scope of the invention being indicated in the claim.

We claim:

An inlet valve for` iilling machines comprising an open-ended cylindrical casing adapted to be secured to a liquid supply tube, said casing having a plurality o1' ilow apertures spaced about its periphery, an apertured sleeve valve rotatable upon the apertured portion of said casing, a Iloat secured to said valve, removable end plates to close the ends of said casing and maintain said valve in position on the latter, and resilient means to hold said end plates in position on said casing.

ROBERT J. STEWART. HENRY H. FRANZ. 

